Comments Off on Newly launched GOES-S satellite will help scientists make accurate predictions about extreme weather

No matter what the current presidential administration wants you to think, the climate is changing . Storms have become more powerful, and natural weather disasters are more common than ever. Today’s meteorological infrastructure, however, is having trouble keeping up with the sheer size and scope of these changes — until now. The GOES-S Satellite , launched by the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration (NOAA) in March 2018, plans to fill in those gaps, changing how we look at weather forecasting in many ways. GOES stands for Geostationary Operational Environment Satellites. These satellites, once launched, are placed in what is known as a geostationary orbit — they circle the Earth at the same speed as the planet’s rotation, allowing the satellites to effectively stay in one place. Because they sit over a specific target area and take pictures as often as every 30 seconds, the satellites enable disaster trackers to see problem areas as they’re developing — instead of after they’ve already become a problem. This feature can be essential for things like wildfire tracking — in some cases, the satellites have spotted potential wildfires before people on the ground even reported the fires. The satellites can also detect hurricanes or typhoons in their infancy, allowing people in the storm’s path more time to prepare. Meteorology and disaster prediction may never become an exact science, especially with the changes happening to the climate worldwide, but GOES can give meteorologists and researchers a leg up when it comes to preparing for whatever the world’s brewing. These satellites are also changing the way meteorologists look at weather forecasting. Instead of warning people after the storm forms, GOES allow meteorologists to watch the storms as they’re building. Areas that could develop severe weather are spotted much earlier and, as a result, residents receive notification sooner. Even if a tornado doesn’t touch down, those at risk will receive more time to prepare and react—two of the most important strategies for surviving many natural disasters . Related: New satellite paves the way for full-color, full-motion video from space GOES, including GOES-S, are not perfect prediction tools — many variables still make meteorology an educated guessing game. Meteorologists may never be able to tell you exactly where a hurricane is going to make landfall or where a wildfire is going to spread, but with tools like GOES, weather teams can make much more accurate predictions and, in doing so, help residents deal with extreme weather throughout the United States. + NOAA Images via NOAA on Flickr

Comments Off on Teen creates world’s lightest satellite and NASA is sending it to space

An 18-year-old from Tamil Nadu in India has built what experts are hailing as the “world’s lightest satellite.” Bonus: NASA’s going to send it into space. Rifath Shaarook’s 1.5-inch cube weighs a mite 2.2 ounces—lighter than many smartphones. “We built it completely from scratch,” Shaarook told India’s Business Standard . “It will have a new kind of on-board computer and eight indigenous built-in sensors to measure acceleration, rotation and the magnetosphere of the Earth.” The satellite beat more than 86,000 entries from 57 countries to win Cubes in Space , a design competition organized by education nonprofit iDoodle with the support of NASA and the Colorado Space Grant Consortium . Shaarook named his design KalamSat after A. P. J. Abdul Kalam, India’s former president and a famous aerospace scientist in his own right. Related: Egyptian teenager creates next-generation quantum space propulsion system Come June 22, NASA will send the cube on a four-hour suborbital spaceflight, where it’ll operate for 12 minutes under microgravity conditions. Shaarook currently works as lead scientist at Space Kidz India , an organization in Chennai that promotes science and education for the country’s youth. Via BBC News

Olympic opening ceremonies are known for spectacle. Yet few countries, if any, have entertained the masses from space . Japanese ALE Company hopes to make history for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo by creating SkyCanvas, a ” man-made meteor shower .” So is this idea wildly cool or wildly crazy? SkyCanvas works via satellites , which are filled with pellets made of different elements such as lithium, copper, or calcium to create different colors as they burn upon re-entry into the atmosphere. ALE says their artificial falling stars last longer than the shooting stars we experience in nature, and they burn brightly at ” an apparent magnitude of -1 ,” according to the company’s lab tests. For comparison, the apparent magnitude of the brightest star in the sky, Sirius, is -1.46 . Related: Samsung wants to blanket the entire planet with Internet using 4,600 satellites The magnanimous display of artificial shooting stars won’t be restricted to those present in the Olympic stadium. They could be seen for 120 miles over Japan, which means some 30,000,000 people could potentially experience the meteor shower. Entertainment on such a vast scale is costly. According to Gizmodo, each pellet in the satellites, which can hold 500 to 1,000 pellets, would cost over $8,000. That doesn’t take into account launching or building the satellites. ALE reports that they aim to launch their first satellite in 2017 , and the following year would provide their service for anyone who wants – and can pay for – such a grand display. From then on, they’d launch a satellite each year . What will happen to all these satellites? ALE is clear they don’t want to litter space, so the satellites themselves would re-enter the atmosphere after around 25 years, becoming ” a very large shooting star .” In addition to manufacturing meteor showers, the company aspires to advance physics , collect data, and even explore the origins of life . Via Gizmodo Images via screenshot

An Egyptain teenager has patented a next-generation propulsion system that could send spacecraft to other solar systems—without using a single drop of fuel. While it is not quite warp-drive technology, young physicist Aisha Mustafa’s system is based on quantum physics and could see mankind boldly go where no man has gone before. Read the rest of Egyptian Teenager Creates Next-Generation Quantum Space Propulsion System

Comments Off on Why Wi-Fi is Faster on the Moon than at Your Local Coffee Shop

Scientists from MIT and NASA recently demonstrated the new Wi-Fi connectivity on the moon, and it’s faster than the service that most of us get here on Earth ! Given that there hasn’t been a human on the lunar surface since 1972, the question remains: why? Read the rest of Why Wi-Fi is Faster on the Moon than at Your Local Coffee Shop Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: hi-speed internet , internet , internet connectivity , lasers , MIT , nasa , satellites , the moon , wi-fi , Wi-Fi on the moon

Comments Off on NASA Launches Air Pollution Study Over California Bay Area as Part of DISCOVER-AQ Study

NASA is currently running a five-year study known as DISCOVER-AQ — which stands for Deriving Information on Surface conditions from Column and Vertically Resolved Observations Relevant to Air Quality — as part of the research of the project that aims to help scientists better understand how to measure and forecast air quality globally from space . So far, two NASA aircrafts equipped with scientific instruments have been dispatched to fly over the California Bay Area to measure air pollution. Read the rest of NASA Launches Air Pollution Study Over California Bay Area as Part of DISCOVER-AQ Study Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: a-train , afternoon constellation , air pollution , california bay area , discover-aq , goddard space flight center , nasa , nasa planes , satellites , space based instruments

Soldiers who fought in WWII were supplied some of the toughest, heartiest, and longest-lasting textiles of the era. Now considered antiques, the fabrics have stood the test of time and have found their way back into use as clothing and upholstery. The Inheritance Collection by Stephen Kenn combines steel welded frames with custom webbing belts, leather straps, and repurposed WWII fabrics. The simple, clean lines of the rusted and clear-coated metal lay a sturdy foundation for the soft Swiss mule belts and army-green cloth. Each piece is one-of-a-kind, and they range from $450 – $5,000. + Stephen Kenn Via designsquish Permalink | Add to del.icio.us | digg Post tags: “green furniture” , eco textiles , fabric , inheritance collection , leather , Metal , repurposed , stephen kenn , swiss mule belt , WWII